Burleigh Heads apprentice in the running for top title

A Burleigh Heads local is one of ten commercial cookery apprentices that took part in a Master Chef style competition earlier this week to decide TAFE Queensland’s Apprentice Chef of the Year for 2018.

Brandon Hardiman is currently completing a Certificate III in Commercial Cookery at Star Casino and admits the competition has been challenging.  

“To know that I am competing against the best-of-the-best in my class has been both exhilarating and nerve-wracking,” Brandon said.

“However, the experience has been a great one to have at this early stage of my career and I am really looking forward to the awards night and the competition results.”

Minister for Training and Skills Development Shannon Fentiman said the finalists in this year’s cook off should be proud of their achievements and wished them luck in Monday’s awards night.

“Out of more than 280 TAFE Queensland apprentice chefs only 10 were selected to compete for this year’s top title,” Ms Fentiman said.

“TAFE Queensland has shown to be the best when it comes to training our future masterchefs.”

“We know that by 2020 it’s projected that we will need an additional 20,000 skilled workers in the growing tourism and hospitality industry, so continuing this training is vital to growing our economy and filling the jobs of the future.”

“Queensland’s tourism industry is evolving in leaps and bounds, and our highly skilled students will play an important role for many years to come.”

 Applicants were required to design a five item canape menu and address several criteria in a written application—the top ten were selected from interviews to take part in the Master Chef style competition that took place on Monday 8 October at TAFE Queensland’s South Bank campus.

On competition day, finalists were required to prepare one of their five menu item canapes as well as an entrée and main meal using a mystery box of ingredients.

TAFE Queensland Brisbane Region’s Director of Faculty of Tourism, Hospitality and Personal Services, Pat Dennis said he continues to be impressed by the quality of the apprentices coming through the faculty.

“Our apprentice chefs are a diverse bunch of people, but the standard and quality of their work is very high right across the board,” Mr Dennis said.

“We are so proud to able to inject such high calibre professionals into the industry each and every year.

“This years finalists for Apprentice Chef of the Year are absolutely exceptional and they are a credit to TAFE Queensland as well as as themselves and they should be very proud of what they have achieved so far.”

The winner of Apprentice Chef of the Year will be announced by the Minster for Training and Skills Development, Shannon Fentiman MP, at a gala dinner on Monday 22 October at 66 on Ernest at TAFE Queensland’s South Bank campus.

The winner will receive a ten-day Culinary Adventure trip to Thailand in January 2019, an Executive German Forged Steel Knife Set and Stico Clogs.

A Certificate III in commercial cookery is one of hundreds of world-class courses offered by TAFE Queensland that provide Queenslanders with the experience and skills they need to get a job and build a career.

ENDS

Media contact:          Inga Williams              0439 949 719